APPARATUS FOR MAKING CONTACT WITH AN ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR, AND CONNECTION OR CONNECTING DEVICE WITH AN APPARATUS OF THIS KIND

• US 20170104283A1
• Filed: 06/05/2015
• Published: 04/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pfisterer Kontaktsysteme GmbH (Pfisterer Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Pfisterer Kontaktsysteme GmbH (Pfisterer Holding AG)
• Inventors: FRANK, Erich
• Granted Patent: US 9,876,290 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 11/01 characterised by the form or arrangement of the conductive interconnection between the connecting locations
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 11/12 End pieces terminating in an eye, hook, or fork
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 11/28 End pieces consisting of a ferrule or sleeve
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 11/32 End pieces with two or more terminations
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 3/08 for making connection to a liquid slip rings with liquid contacts H01R39/30, H01R39/646
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/186 using a body comprising a plurality of cable-accommodating recesses or bores
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/20 using a crimping sleeve H01R4/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/26 Connections in which at least one of the connecting parts has projections which bite into or engage the other connecting part in order to improve the contact H01R4/188, H01R4/203, H01R4/5075 take precedence; using shape memory materials H01R4/01
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/36 Conductive members located under tip of screw

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus (1) for making contact with an electrical conductor (10, 20), in particular a cable conductor of a power supply cable, wherein the apparatus (1) has a connecting body (4) which delimits a receiving space (6) into which the conductor (10, 20) with which contact is to be made can be inserted by way of its end, and wherein the apparatus (1) has a contact medium (30) with which electrical contact can be made with the end of the conductor (10, 20) under the action of a contact force, characterized in that the contact medium (30) has a large umber of electrically conductive contact bodies (32) which are introduced into the receiving space (6) and bear against one another and of which at least some can be brought into electrical contact-making contact with the end of the conductor (10, 20).

Claims

1. An apparatus (1) for making contact with an electrical conductor (10, 20), in particular a cable conductor of a power supply cable, wherein the apparatus (1) has a connecting body (4), which delimits a receiving space (6), into which the conductor (10, 20) with which contact is to be made can be inserted by means of its front end, and wherein the apparatus (1) has a contact medium (30) with which electrical contact can be made with the front end of the conductor (10, 20) under the action of a contact force, characterized in that the contact medium (30) has a plurality of electrically conductive contact bodies (32) which are introduced into the receiving space (6) and bear against one another and of which at least some can be brought into electrical contact-making contact with the front end of the conductor (10, 20).

2. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the contact force of one contact body (32) can be transmitted to adjacent bearing contact bodies (32) and/or the conductor (10, 20) with which contact is to be made and/or the connecting body (4).

3. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the contact bodies (32) are shaped such that the contact force can be transmitted in an essentially direction-independent manner to adjacent bearing contact bodies (32) and/or the conductor (10, 20) with which contact is to be made and/or the connecting body (4).

4. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that at least part of the contact bodies (32) has an at least partially curved surface, in particular an at least partially spherical surface, and preferably at least part of the contact bodies (32) is formed ball-shaped.

5. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the contact bodies (32) have an electrically conductive surface coating, which constantly has a lower contact resistance compared with the material of the contact bodies.

6. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the contact medium (30) has a pasty mass (34), in which the contact bodies (32) are embedded.

7. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the apparatus (1) has at least one force application element (18) acting on the contact medium (30), by means of which the contact force can be introduced into the contact medium (30).

8. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the apparatus (1) has a force storage means (28) acting on the contact medium (30), by means of which the contact force can be constantly maintained.

9. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the apparatus (1) has at least one force indicator (36) or at least one signal element (354), which indicates that the contact medium (30) is adequately tensioned by means of the force storage means or contact storage means (28).

10. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the apparatus (1) has a fixation device for fixing the conductor (10, 20) with which contact is to be made to the connecting body (4), in particular for fixing the axial position of the conductor (10, 20) with which contact is to be made relative to the connecting body (4).

11. A connection or connecting device with an apparatus (1) according to claim 1 and with a contacted electrical conductor (10, 20), in particular with a multi-wire cable conductor of a power supply cable, wherein at least some of the contact bodies (32) are in electrical contact-making contact with the front end of the conductor (10, 20).

12. The connection or connecting device according to claim 11, characterized in that at least part of the contact bodies (32) has an at least partially curved surface, in particular an at least partially spherical surface, and preferably at least part of the contact bodies (32) is formed ball-shaped, and in that the radius of the curved surface is less than 50% of a narrow side of the front surface of the contacted conductor (10, 20) or of the wires of a multi-wire conductor (10, 20), in particular less than 40% and preferably less than 25%.

13. The connection or connecting device according to claim 11, characterized in that the conductor (10, 20) has multiple wires, and that at least one expansion element (150) is inserted into the front end of the contacted conductor (10, 20), preferably that an expansion element (150) is inserted centrally into the front end of the contacted conductor (10, 20).

14. The connection or connecting device according to claim 11, characterized in that an annular element (148) is mounted on or near to the front end on the contacted conductor (10, 20), the external diameter of which is adapted to the receiving space (6) of the connecting body (4), in particular that the external diameter of the annular element (148) essentially corresponds to the clear width of the receiving space (6) of the connecting body (4), and/or the internal diameter of which is adapted to the external diameter of the conductor (10, 20) with which contact is to be made, in particular that the internal diameter of the annular element (148) essentially corresponds to the external diameter of the conductor (10, 20) with which contact is to be made.